Happy Monday everyone! A very special friend of mine bought me these flowers as a get-well gift and I thought they were just so beautiful that I wanted to share them. It's amazing how flowers can brighten up your whole day. I'm going make an effort to buy fresh flowers every weekend from now on because they really do inspire me. Speaking of inspiration, you will need to draw some together for what I have to share today.

While I'm not a fashion designer myself, I think that any graduate training program or mentorship for young graduates starting up their careers is so important. For all of you that are aspiring fashion designers, ELLE and Mr Price have started their search for the 2014 winner of the ELLE Rising Star Design Award.

This award gives ambitious, young, up-and-coming designers the chance to launch their careers in the best possible way. The winner of the award will receive a cash prize of R30 000 as well as R7 000 to fund a new range of designs. Finalists will be given the opportunity to showcase their designs at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa in October 2014. The winner will also be given a two week internship at Mr Price head office in Durban as well as a two week internship with the editor of ELLE magazine and her team.

Who can enter? Final year fashion design students or fashion design graduates with no more than 3 years experience qualify for entry. Entrants must also be born in an African country or have obtained citizenship in one.

When can I enter? Entries have already opened and you have until 11 August to make sure you get your entry in.